Latest education updates from around the world
18 Google Keep Tutorials for Teachers
A couple of weeks ago I published a short tutorial on how to use Google Keep to scan and search handwritten notes. Publishing that tutorial prompted me to update my playlist of tutorials on ways that teachers and students can use Google Keep. The full playlist of 18 Google Keep tutorials can be seen here on my YouTube channel. Some highlights from the playlist are embedded below.
Don’t Let the Graphs Fool You
Tools like Canva, Adobe Express, and even good ol’ PowerPoint make it incredibly easy to quickly create good looking graphs. But as Randy Krum points out in his book, Cool Infographics, a graphic that looks good isn’t necessarily a good graphic. In fact, many times a graphic is made to look good in order to distract from the reality of the information presented within it. That’s a point that is made in a few ways in a TED-Ed lesson titled How to Spot a Misleading Graph.
By watching […]
How to Create and Share Canva Templates
In the winter of 2021-22 my kids and I conducted a winter bird survey at our house. Because my kids were little and because I thought it would be fun, I made a little observation journal that we put on our refrigerator. Last winter we did it again and I shared our observation template with a couple of friends who wanted to use it with their young children.
Zones of Regulation Posters For Classrooms
Emotions and their management play a critical role in the educational environment. As a seasoned educator and researcher, I understand the profound impact that a well-regulated classroom can have on a child’s learning experience. That’s why zones of regulation posters have become such an integral tool in today’s classrooms.
But with an abundance of options out there, finding the right poster that resonates with your classroom’s needs can be a challenge. That’s where I’ve stepped in. Drawing from my years of experience and a keen eye for what works in real-world educational settings, I have meticulously curated a list […]
Three Google Slides Accessibility Features You Should Know How to Enable
As the new school year approaches it’s a good idea to review some of the easily overlooked, but important features of some of the tools we use the most. Google Slides is one of those tools that I use a lot and has a lot of features that are easy to overlook. For example, unless you use them on a regular basis the accessibility features in Google Slides are easy to forget about. In a new video that is embedded below I provide and overview of three Google Slides accessibility features you should know how to […]
Audio, Assessments, and Summer Cold – The Week in Review
Good morning from Maine where the sun is rising on what should be a great summer day. Fortunately, I’m feeling much better than I did throughout the week as a struggled with a miserable cold that had me sleeping a lot more than normal and exercising a lot less than normal. I did get out for a few walks with my dogs. On one of those walks we stopped to help a salamander cross the road (to get to the other side, obviously).
I hope that you had a great week. If you started school this week, […]
How Much Do Teachers Make in the USA? Latest Stats
How Much Do Teachers Make in the USA? is the topic of our blog post today!
In the diverse educational landscape of the United States, the question of “how much do teachers make in the USA?” is a frequent and fundamental one. With a wide array of schools, curricula, and teaching methods, teachers’ salary figures can vary significantly across states and levels of education.
Understanding these numbers is essential for educators planning their careers, policymakers aiming to incentivize the profession, and communities working to appreciate and support their local teachers.
In this comprehensive exploration, we dive into the […]
Seasoned VR Devs Raise $1.6 Million for New Studio Focused on Virtual Pet Experience
Windup Minds is a newly announced XR studio which has raised a $1.6 million seed investment for immersive experiences focused on virtual pets and companions.
Windup Minds was founded earlier this year by Bernard Yee, Ben Vance, Amy Conchie, and Stefani Swiatkowski. The quartet of seasoned VR developers have collectively worked at Oculus, WeVR, Microsoft, EA, and more, with works under their belt like Oculus demo projects Bogo, Toy Box, and First Steps, along with mainstream gaming projects like Destiny, Plants vs. Zombies, and Dishonored.
The quartet announced this week it raised $1.6 million in seed funding to get the […]
By Request – Teacher and Student Views of Joining Google Classroom
Twice this week readers emailed me to ask if I had any tutorials about how students join Google Classroom. I didn’t have a current one so I made one.
In my new video that is embedded below I demonstrate three ways to invite students to join Google Classroom and the three ways that students can join your Google Classroom classes.
Video – Teacher and Student Views of Joining Google Classroom
Which method of inviting students is best depends on you and your students. If your students have previous experience with Google Classroom and they have active […]
How to Use AI in Google Slides
In case you haven’t heard, AI is the buzzword of the year in education and technology. If you haven’t tried any AI tools yet, Google Slides has one that it’s easy to use and that you might actually want to use on a regular basis.
The “insert images” menu in Google Slides now has an option titled “help me visualize.” When you select that option you can type a description of the kind of image you would like to add to your slides. Once you’ve done that give Google twenty seconds and it will generate a small […]
COVID-19 and School Climate in a Sample of Pennsylvania Schools
This REL Mid-Atlantic study assessed how school climate changed during the pandemic using data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s school climate survey and found an unexpected improvement in school climate during the year when much instruction was conducted remotely.
Reimagining Professional Development
Education leaders at Laguna Beach USD have implemented a new approach to professional development
MTSS – What Teachers Need to Know
MTSS is the topic of our blog post today!
As educators, our calling extends beyond just imparting knowledge. Our classrooms are diverse tapestries of minds, each with its unique rhythm of learning, challenges, and strengths. Yet, in the cacophony of individual needs, how do we ensure that each voice is heard, that each student receives the tailored support they require?
Part of the answer is Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
Born from the passion to provide equitable educational experiences, MTSS stands as a structured, yet fluid, approach to nurturing every student’s potential. Join me as we delve into the heart […]
4 Best Phone Stands for Recording
Phone stands for recording is the topic of our blog post today!
As teachers, we constantly evolve, adapting to the shifting paradigms of education and embracing innovative tools that enhance our teaching methods. In today’s digital age, our smartphones have become essential tools, not just for communication, but as indispensable teaching aids.
Whether it’s recording lectures, streaming educational content, or engaging in virtual classrooms, a sturdy and reliable tripod stand can make all the difference. Drawing from my personal experiences in the classroom and extensive online research, I’ve curated a list of the best iPhone tripod stands for fellow […]
WEBINAR: Reading Intervention Strategies That Drive Measurable Outcomes
Education leaders share reading intervention strategies used to help students meet grade-level literacy objectives.
6 Best Projectors for Classrooms
Projectors for Classrooms is the topic of our blog post today!
The world of edtech is buzzing with innovations, but it’s often daunting to pinpoint the right device that seamlessly complements the educational environment. Projectors, for instance, are quintessential in modern classrooms, transforming traditional lessons into vibrant visual tales that captivate young minds. But with a market overflowing with choices, how does one distinguish the best from the rest?
Delving deep into the digital world, I’ve amalgamated countless hours of online research, analyzed a plethora of reader reviews, and sprinkled in my personal experiences to craft this definitive list of […]
18 Google Calendar Tutorials for Teachers
Earlier this week I shared directions for creating appointment slots in Google Calendar. After doing that it occurred to me that I’ve made a lot of Google Calendar tutorials over the years. And while I have a big playlist of more than 700 Google Workspace tutorials, I’ve never broken out the Google Calendar tutorials into a playlist of its own. So this morning that’s what I did.
In this new playlist you’ll find eighteen tutorials on how to use the various features of Google Calendar. I’ve embedded some of the highlights […]
Don’t Rely Social Media for Distributing Important School Information
Last year I wrote about the qualities of a good school district website. Unfortunately, the school district in which my kids go to school didn’t read that blog post or didn’t take any action based on it. That was driven home this week as we attempted to find the school supply lists and the schedule for the start of the school for our kids.
The obvious place to look for a school supply list and the schedule for the start of the school year is the school’s website. Unfortunately, that has been updated since […]
How Microsoft is Using Generative AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning
How Microsoft is Using Generative AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning
Meet the 2022-23 Winners of Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards
Tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards celebrate outstanding school district leaders who are reshaping and reimagining the future of education.
Best 4 Document Cameras for Teachers
Document cameras for teachers is the topic of our blog post today!
Part of my job as an EdTech with an extensive educational background is to share with you what I believe are best gadget recommendations to facilitate your teaching and enhance students learning. In today’s post the focus in on document cameras.
As teachers and educators, we use document cameras for various educational purposes from remote teaching to in-class explorations. I have done extensive research into what sort of document cameras are best for classrooms and have compiled for you the collection below.
if I […]
11 Tools for Painting, Modeling, Designing & Animating in VR
Though gaming is likely VR’s most visible use-case so far, it’s capable of so much more. Creatives are using VR for a wide range of artistic endeavors including painting, drawing, 3D modeling & sculpting, animating and more. If you’re interested in exploring your creativity in VR, here’s 11 tools worth checking out.
Updated – August 9th, 2023
First, here’s a quick breakdown of the tools and their capabilities, so that you can hone in on what kind of creative tool you’re looking for […]
10 Effective Ways Teachers Can Make Learning Relevant and Meaningful
Ways teachers can make learning relevant and meaningful is the topic of our blog post today!
My journey into the vast realm of educational literature began with my PhD in Educational Studies—a profound exploration that delved deep into the nuances of how we learn and the best ways to facilitate that process. Yet, it wasn’t just the academic rigor of my doctorate that illuminated these insights; my tenure as a teacher and my ongoing role as an educator provided the practical canvas on which theoretical knowledge met real-world application.
This confluence of research and firsthand experience has equipped me […]
Collaborative Spatial Design App ‘ShapesXR’ Raises $8.6M, Expanding to Apple Vision Pro & Other Headsets
ShapesXR is a collaborative spatial design app built to make it easy to prototype spatial interfaces, interactions, and environments. The company announced today it has raised an $8.6 million seed investment, part of which the company plans to use to expand to more headsets.
While so many VR interfaces and interactions borrow heavily (if not entirely) from existing ‘flat’ design paradigms, ShapesXR is built on the premise that in order to build spatial applications you need spatial design tools. With that in mind, the app functions like a freeform canvas that allows users to mock up designs inside […]
How AI and The Metaverse Can Help Harness the Power of Play
Incorporating AI, the Metaverse, and free play into students’ lives is a counterintuitive way to boost learning